Which whales were most often hunted in early coastal whaling?

In early coastal whaling, the primary targets were right whales (family Balaenidae), including the northern right whale and the bowhead whale (also known as the Greenland right whale).12

These species were considered the "right" whales to hunt for several specific reasons:
* Behavior: They were slow-moving, often fed near the surface and inshore, and were known to gather in sheltered bays to breed, making them easily accessible to early whalers using rowboats.12
* Physical traits: Unlike many other species, right whales float to the surface after being killed, which simplified the process of towing them to shore for processing.12
* Economic value: They provided high-quality oil and strong, elastic baleen, which were highly sought-after commercial products.31

Additionally, in more primitive or small-scale coastal operations, hunters targeted smaller, easily beached species such as belugas and narwhals. It was only later, with the development of advanced technology like steamships and explosive harpoons, that whalers were able to pursue faster, more difficult species.214